Common Names

Parts Usually Used

Description of Plant(s) and Culture

Yerba mate` is an evergreen shrub or small tree up to 20 feet high;
its alternate, elliptic-obovate leaves have a narrowed base and a
rounded or bluntly pointed tip; their margins are crenate-serrate.
The axillary flowers are whitish and inconspicuous. The fruit is a
rounded, reddish berry-like drupe up to 1/4 inch in diameter.

Medicinal Properties

Biochemical Information

Legends, Myths and Stories

Mate` (pronounced mah-tay), the tea made from the plant, is the South
American equivalent to coffee in the United States. Charles Darwin
called it "the ideal stimulant". It is estimated that the South American
inhabitants consume approximately 8 million pounds of yerba mate`
each year. The herb is exported to the United States and other countries.

The tea as a beverage effects a surprising rejuvenation of the human
organism. One drinking it, especially for the first time, feels a
remarkable inflow of strength, energy, and cheerfulness, as a direct
and almost immediate result.

The early Jesuit missionaries learned the use of this herb from the
South American Indians and found the brew so refreshing and healthful
that they risked their lives searching for the small trees in the
dense jungles of Brazil. Later they brought the tree under cultivation
near their missions and mate` became widely known as "Jesuit's tea"
or "missionaries tea". It is said that the Jesuits added the word
yerba (herb) to the Indian name mate`, which comes from a word meaning
"drinking vessel" or "gourd".

In the book The Magic of Herbs in Daily Living by Richard
Lucas, there is a story about a 75 year old widower, living with his
son and his family, was slipping mentally. Grandpa could not remember
their names; it was necessary to lead him to the bathroom, he couldn't
find it by himself.

One day the son came across an article on yerba mate` and immediately
bought a pound of the herb. Grandpa liked the tea, and a month later,
having taken the tea in the meantime, the son heard grandpa get up
early one morning. To the son's amazement, grandpa, all by himself,
was just coming out of the bathroom. He shamed his son for staying
in bed so late and stated that he guessed he would have to make his
own tea that morning.

The family supplemented grandpa's diet with dolomite pills (2 tablets
3 times a day) plus lecithin and wheat germ oil. Three months later
grandpa's memory was dramatically improved. He could easily remember
all the names of his relatives and friends, and even that of the neighbor
down the block. He was cheerful, energetic, and took an active and
lively interest in the world around him.

Its stimulant principle is caffeine, but it contains less than coffee
or regular tea. Mate` may be the answer for the coffee addict who
wants to get rid of his coffee nerves without breaking the habit.